Show Notes
If you’ve ever caught Mustang fever, you know it doesn’t take much. Sometimes all it takes is one good friend, one beautiful ’65 Fastback, and one road trip through Chicago to make you realize there’s suddenly an empty space in your garage that desperately needs filling.
That’s pretty much what happened to today’s guest, Ryan.
After watching his friend restore a ’65 Fastback—and then seeing that car roll through Chicago on a road trip from Kansas back home to Richmond, Virginia—Ryan was officially infected. The cure? A 1966 Mustang coupe, finished in gorgeous Vintage Burgundy, with a 289 V8 and a three-speed manual.
And here’s a connection I particularly like: Ryan found his Mustang in the San Francisco Bay Area, the same part of California where I found Jewel, my ’65 convertible.
But buying the car was only the beginning. Ryan brought the Mustang home to the Chicago suburbs, and now, through a few trials, plenty of learning, and some modifications along the way, he’s turning it into a project he can share with his kids.
Today we’re talking about catching Mustang fever, buying a classic from across the country, learning as you go, and why working on an old Mustang with your kids might be one of the best modifications you can make.
Ryan, welcome to Ford Mustang: The Early Years.
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Visit ClassicFordRentals.com, scroll to the bottom of the page, and share your info with me— let’s get your truck or Mustang working.
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"Keep it safe, keep it rollin’, and keep it on the road. Until next time!"
More from Ford Mustang The First Generation, The Early Years Podcast
How many is too many? Only John Dishong, our guest today, can tell us. Owner of 5 classic ponies, let's see how he does it.
When your position is to build, under a bespoke license from Shelby, turn Ford Mustangs into carbon fiber Shelby race cars, you've got my attention. Welcome Igor Polegkiy to Ford Mustang: The Early Years
Special thanks to episode guest Aaron Robinson, who wrote the article "2024 Road of the Year" for Hagerty Drivers Club Magazine.
Episode Guest: Charles Coats, serial first-generation Mustang owner
Some Mustang stories are about horsepower, some about restorations, and others, family traditions. Rick's story is about love, determination, and keeping a promise. When his aging mother shared one final wish—to ride once more in the 1965 Mustang convertible she had owned before it was sold while his father was serving in Vietnam—Rick set out on an incredible mission. Against the odds, he tracked down her original car, brought it back into the family, and later honored her memory by taking one final ride with her ashes resting on the console, alongside his sons. It's a story that spans generations and reminds us that sometimes a classic Mustang becomes much more than a car—it becomes the keeper of a family's most treasured memories. Rick has owned that special Mustang for the past eight years, and today he's here to share the remarkable journey behind it. Rick, welcome to Ford Mustang: The Early Years.